Number Cruncher: Classroom Edition wins Rep. Morgan Griffith’s 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Ninth District
Rep. Morgan Griffith has named Theta Back, a Eighth grader at Blacksburg Middle School, as the winner of the 2024 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Ninth District.
When asked what inspired the creation of Number Cruncher: Classroom Edition, the student said, “I originally created Number Cruncher: Single Player Edition in 2023 as a way to make learning math fun. I knew that many of my classmates taking pre-algebra found it boring and repetitive, and I knew that they would appreciate a game as an alternative to a worksheet.
After a while, I realized that my single-player game wasn’t practical for a classroom setting and that students couldn’t really play it together in class. This observation drove the creation of my web-based app Number Cruncher: Classroom Edition. As shown in my demonstration video, students enjoyed my app and found it engaging.
I also wanted my classroom app to be different from other classroom games like Quizlet or GimKit, where students answer numerous quiz-style questions. I knew from experience that these kinds of quiz-like games weren’t ideal for learning math. I also wanted to make a non-commercial game that could be used without depending on third-party services.
My app is available at https://numbercruncher.redturnip.art which is hosted on my personal server, but the source code is available on Github under GNU Affero GPL for schools and others to host my app on their own server.”
This year’s Congressional App Challenge set new records, with an unprecedented 382 Members of the House of Representatives hosting competitions—surpassing the previous high of 374. An incredible 12,682 students from across the country participated, representing a growth of over 1,000 students compared to 2023. These talented students submitted an astounding 3,881 original applications, showcasing their creativity, passion for technology, and the limitless potential of America’s next generation of innovators. This surge in participation reflects the increasing excitement around STEM and highlights a bright future for American innovation.
The Congressional App Challenge is an official initiative of the U.S. House of Representatives, where Members of Congress host contests in their districts for middle school and high school students, encouraging them to learn to code and inspiring them to pursue careers in computer science. This resounding show of bipartisan support emphasizes the critical importance of STEM education in today’s rapidly evolving world. Each participating Member of Congress selects a winning app from their district, and each winning team is invited to showcase their winning app to Congress during our annual #HouseOfCode festival.
The program is a public-private partnership made possible through funding from the Broadcom Foundation, AWS, Rise, theCoderSchool, Apple, and others.
The 2024 Congressional App Challenge will launch in May of 2025, and eligible students can pre-register for the competition now.